Older riders, what type of
motorcycle are they looking for?
The purpose of this article is
to start a dialogue, share
information and educate
motorcycle and accessory
manufacturers about the needs of
the older rider or the rider
with physical limitations. Due
to the Motorcycle Safety
Improvement Plan1
there have been many recent
articles about the
accident-prone aging rider.
However, further study of this
issue has shown that the
accident rate figures parallel
the large number of baby boomers
moving into their middle and
senior years. So, the older
riders are not more likely to
have an accident on a per capita
basis. If motorcycles could be
modified to accommodate these
riders, significant safety
issues would be addressed, a
large marketing opportunity can
be realized, and we may get
better motorcycles in the
process.

Effects of
Aging

"While
many older riders reported being
generally unaffected by physical
changes, most were aware of
declining capacity. The most
common categories of problems
were strength, endurance,
vision, orthopedic problems and
reaction time. Awareness of
diminishing strength was usually
presented in terms of being less
able to pick up a fallen bike or
to hold up one as it was falling
over. A few riders expressed the
need for a lighter or lower bike
than they would otherwise
prefer."2

This
rider is anyone who may need
some modification to a stock
bike to continue to ride
comfortably. They may be older
and experiencing some of the
physical effects of aging or
have an injury that makes
getting on and off taller seats
difficult.

As I
visit motorcycle shops, scan
dozens of web pages, read
magazines, and talk to fellow
riders, I am finding frustration
with most of the motorcycles
available. As riders adjust to
aging, the first step is to
modify their existing bike by
installing lower shocks, cutting
down the stock seat or
purchasing an aftermarket seat.
Many then turn to cruisers for
their low seat height, but the
heavy weight can be a problem.
Also, unless the cruiser is a
H-D, BMW, Moto Guzzi, or Triumph
there is a certain amount of old
road-dog pride lost when the
motorcycle veteran turns up on a
small Japanese bike.

Stan
roared up to the BMW Rally on
his Yamaha Cruiser, his old
Harley was at home with a
carburetor problem. He slowly
lifted his leg over the V-Star's
low seat and explained to
onlookers, "It's all that I
need. I looked at bigger ones
but this is enough." A Yamaha
V-Star did not have much
credibility at this gathering of
BMW enthusiasts, but most knew
that Stan had owned many bikes
including BMW's but he couldn't
ride them anymore, they were too
tall. A few minutes later Len
pulled in with his Goldwing
trike and easily slid off the
low stable cycle. His BMW twin
was for sale; even with its
lower seat it no longer felt as
safe.

Seat
Heights

The
measurements given by
manufacturers will only give you
an idea of how a seat may work
for you. The width of the seat,
suspension and floorboards also
are a factor in getting your
feet on the ground. The best way
is to get on the bike with your
weight on the seat. I know of
three BMW owners who have
replaced stock rear shocks with
short custom shocks that
resulted in a taller seat height
than with the old standard
shocks. Why? The older original
shock, no doubt worn, was lower
than the new lower shock,
with the rider in the seat.
One bike was sold, one has the
old shocks back on, and one is
too tall for the rider.

I have
seen seats quickly modified by
vendors at shows. Part of the
stock foam is cut away and
replaced by a gel insert, and
the seat is then put back
together with the original
cover. The seat can be lowered
.5" - 1". The whole process may
only take two hours. These
services are also available by
shipping your seat. Corbin and
other seat manufacturers offer
lower replacement seats.

The
Perfect Motorcycle

As we
all know, there is no perfect
motorcycle for all purposes, so
what are these riders looking
for? First, they want access to
existing new Honda, Yamaha,
Kawasaki, and Suzuki
motorcycles, especially
standards and the dual-purpose
bikes. They are light and fast,
the cost is right, and the
benefits of new technology are
there in the brakes and
handling. These bikes don't fit
at present because they need an
adjustable seat, adjustable
suspensions, adjustable
handlebars and levers (BMW has
the right idea with its line up
of adjustable seats, but they
need to drop another 2 inches).
The passenger's seat needs to be
on the same height as the
rider's seat; those high
passenger seats do nothing for
balance and contribute to top
heaviness.

Second,
they would like Japanese and
American cruisers that are
lighter in weight. The seat
height is great, the ride and
performance are improving
rapidly, but most cruisers are
too heavy. The older rider is
looking for the same type of
bike that many experienced
riders want, young and old, male
and female. There are some
current bikes available that
could be a good choice for this
group:

Ducati 620 Monster -
lightweight, lower seat,
good performance, the other
Monsters may work but check
out the seat height.

Moto Guzzi 1100 cruiser
models - seat height is low
and the weight is not bad.

HD
Sportster - almost perfect
if only H-D would refine
them with an engine balancer
or rubber engine mounts.

The Triumph 900cc triple
cruisers - These have lower
seat heights (they vary by
year and model), are
lightweight and have good
performance. Also, the new
Bonneville and Bonneville
American.

The Suzuki SV650 - an
excellent example of a bike
this type of rider would
like, but the seat is too
high and the passenger
perches high above the
rider, throwing off the
balance.

MZ
- lightweight singles, seat
height varies by model.

Ridley - a new lightweight
American cruiser with an
automatic transmission and a
low seat height.

I am
hoping that this article will
encourage riders to add suitable
bikes to the list.

Cycle
Scoots and Scoot Cycles

Have
you seen the new large Honda and
Suzuki Scooters? With automatic
transmissions and easy highway
speed, they can ride two up with
maximum weather protection and
little effort. Many of the older
riders, especially those with
physical limitations, such as a
bad back, have been riding the
Honda Helix, a 250cc automatic
scooter that easily cruises at
65, sold in the U.S. since the
mid-80's.

My look
at the future shows a blending
of the scooter and the
motorcycle. Are you ready for a
100-hp scooter/cycle like
Vetter's Defiant, with automatic
transmission, very low seat
height, low weight, and a big
Harley engine? How about the
Suzuki Burgman scooter with its
650cc twin cylinder engine,
5-speed push button automatic
transmission, and over 100-mph
top speed? Look at the new Honda
FSC 600 Silverwing scooter;
displacing 600 cc it will easily
cruise with most motorcycles. Or
Dan Gurney's scooter-like
Alligator motorcycle with its
lightweight and low seating
position.

Put a
Honda Goldwing (which is almost
a scooter now) on a strict diet,
reducing its weight to 500
pounds, add an optional
automatic transmission, and you
would have a perfect
motorcycle/motor scooter. I
don't know what to call it--a
cyclescoot, a scootcycle? There
have been some scooters and
motorcycles that have had
characteristics of both, with
some automobile features as
well, such as the Honda Pacific
Coast. The Moto Guzzi V1000
Convert was a standard Moto
Guzzi with added features and an
automatic transmission. Honda
has made several motorcycles
with automatic transmissions.
These include the 750A (a four
cylinder bike from the 70's),
and a 400cc twin. Both Moto
Guzzi and Honda offered a
similar bike with manual
transmission, so there was an
option. There are many good
sources for possible new and
used motorcycles. Web sites
listing bikes for the new rider
(like this one), women's'
motorcycle magazines and web
sites, and the Complete
Idiots Guide to Motorcycles.3

Future
Trends

Optional automatic
transmission

Electronic shifting as an
option

Reverse gear

Good optional lowering kits
from the manufacturer that
can get the seat height down
and still provide good
handling

Adjustable pegs,
floorboards, levers

Intercom devices to
facilitate communication
between rider and passenger

Heated, seats, grips,
clothing and helmets

Lighter weight bikes

Blending of the scooter and
motorcycle

Use of sidecars

More trikes

Summary

Many of
these older riders have ridden
the biggest and the best,
Indians, Harleys, Brit. bikes
and BMW twins. The thought of
riding a little bike or a
scooter is not attractive yet
they do not want to give up
their hobby and sport. The ideal
bike would be a lightweight
(375-490 pounds) motorcycle with
a low center of gravity, good
handling, a smooth and powerful
engine, a low adjustable seat
(26-29 inches), good passenger
seating, and adjustable
handlebars, foot controls, and
levers. And let's throw in easy
maintenance and reasonable cost.

Experienced riders would like to
stick to a familiar brand of
motorcycle because of loyalty, a
dealer, or a group they ride
with. Ideally, all companies
should have models with the
characteristics discussed in
this article. Is this too much
to ask? It must be, because I
don't think such a bike exists.
If there are bikes out there
with these characteristics,
let's hear about them.

WE MAY HAVE
MADE SOME MISTAKES...
BUT AMERICA IS STILL THE WORLDS
GREATEST COUNTRYYou cannot help the poor by destroying
the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative
and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and
should do for themselves.Quote
By... Rev. William J. H. Boetcker, a
Presbyterian clergyman.

for the opportunity to serve you
and may safety & good judgment chase
you while on the road!

We are a full service scooter and Trike
dealership, selling Baccio, Keeway, Fly Scooters, CPI Scooters, Lance and Zongshen,
Linhai, Argo, Benelli, Hyosung, Schwinn, CF MOTO, Yamati,
Kikker, CPI, Bajaj, scooters.
Scooters are street legal and fun to ride
but most importantly they are practical. Our scooters and Trikes are DOT and EPA approved. We have a variety of
vehicles to choose from.
Gas prices will soon hit an all-time average high for regular
and unleaded fuel. Since we live in an area where driving is a necessity, we have to
pay attention to our driving habits and our vehicles.
Choose an
alternative
vehicle today whether it be a scooter, Trike or one of
our little three wheel cars! Stop spending $50.00 to $100.00 a week
in fuel cost!